Dove is celebrating two decades of its 'Campaign for Real Beauty' by renewing its commitment to eschew digital distortion or AI-generated content in its advertising, a stance that sets it apart in an industry predicted to have 90% of its online content AI-generated by 2025.

The personal care brand has commissioned a new study to understand how beauty impacts women and girls today. The new 'Real State of Beauty' report reveals that 40% of women would give up a year of their life to achieve an ideal look or body. Furthermore, 76% of women feel the need to look healthy, 68% to be slim, and 64% feel they need a small waist while also being curvy (57%).

The report also highlights that two in three women feel that women today are expected to be more physically attractive than their mother’s generation. Almost nine in ten women and girls have been exposed to harmful beauty content online. One in three women feel pressure to alter their appearance because of what they see online, even when they know it’s fake or AI-generated.

To combat these pressures, Dove is providing the 'Real Beauty Prompt Playbook', a free tool to help create visual content that widens the representation of beauty on the most generative AI tools. Dove's new campaign, 'The Code', aims to reflect on the potential of AI to mirror societal biases towards women’s representation, but also its potential to become more diverse and inclusive.

Dove's Chief Marketing Officer, Alessandro Manfredi, said, “At Dove, we seek a future where women decide and declare what real beauty looks like – not algorithms.”

“As we navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with new technology, we remain committed to protect, celebrate, and champion Real Beauty. Pledging to never use AI in our communications is just one step. We will not stop until beauty is a source of happiness, not anxiety, for every woman and girl," said Manfredi.

Dove Masterbrand Director, Pau Bartoli, said: “Dove’s continued growth is a testament to the brand’s dedication to championing real beauty and the enduring connection that it has built with consumers around the world.”

“By putting real women and stories at the heart of our storytelling, we’ve been able to stay relevant, delivering campaigns that resonate and, ultimately, products that our consumers love.”

First launched in 2004, the Real Beauty campaign set out to change the culture of beauty advertising by discarding stereotypes and featuring real women instead of models.

The campaign has since challenged the portrayal of women in the media, highlighting digital distortion and encouraging the beauty industry and the public to acknowledge the harmful impact of unrealistic representations of women and girls.

In 2023, Dove generated a turnover of €6 billion for its parent company, Unilever, and the brand's 'Self-Esteem Project' reached over 100 million young people with body confidence education.